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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · rash · cabinet · content · bore · stick · bulb · land

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. content — the amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. drill — the tool
  16. land — to come down
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. content — happy
  19. land — a country
  20. drill — army training
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com